Pakistan continues to face major challenges in meeting the education needs of its citizens. Today, approximately 20 million school age children do not have access to quality education and literacy rates are extremely low (69 percent for men and 44 percent for women). Low attendance rates, inadequate infrastructure, and poorly trained teachers perpetuate these serious gaps in education, while limited government capacity, inadequate funding, poor coordination between national and provincial level governments, and security concerns impede efforts to improve the situation.
Despite these challenges, education is a top priority for families. In the absence of adequate public education, the private sector and religious groups have stepped in to provide alternatives. Private sector schools now account for 33 percent of education institutions in the country. To reach their potentialsPakistanis must have access to quality education at all levels. Through an extensive portfolio, the U.S. government supports the Government of Pakistan (GOP) in its efforts to improve and expand basic and higher education and to provide all Pakistanis with access to quality education.
Despite these challenges, education is a top priority for families. In the absence of adequate public education, the private sector and religious groups have stepped in to provide alternatives. Private sector schools now account for 33 percent of education institutions in the country. To reach their potentialsPakistanis must have access to quality education at all levels. Through an extensive portfolio, the U.S. government supports the Government of Pakistan (GOP) in its efforts to improve and expand basic and higher education and to provide all Pakistanis with access to quality education.
USAID programs ensured that approximately 900,000 school-aged children were able to attend classes.
Over 3,000 education administrators and 12,000 teachers were trained in management and teaching techniques to improve educational quality and increase student learning outcomes.
Through USAID, the U.S. government provided school libraries with approximately 100,000 books, math teaching kits, school bags, computer systems, and classroom learning materials.
With its adult literacy programs in the Islamabad Capital Territory and the Districts of Karachi and Rawalpindi, USAID partners taught over 2,500 women basic math and language skills. This has contributed to 10 percent increase in the adult literacy rate between 2001 and 2008.
To improve teacher education and performance, USAID's education program helped develop national standards as well as a licensing and accreditation system for teachers.
To provide transparent financial aid to needy Pakistani students, USAID provided technical assistance to establish six financial aid offices and created three new scholarship programs in Pakistani universities. Approximately 1,500 students were financially supported to pursue degrees in agriculture and business administration.
Continued support for 34 existing Pakistan-US collaborations between universities and higher education institutions has benefited over 1,400 Pakistani researchers and practitioners — 45 percent of whom were women. In addition, USAID developed 89 new research and training programs under Pakistan-US Science and Technology program.
The Fulbright Program sponsored 182 new students including 78 women. Currently, 75 Pakistanis are being supported by the Fulbright program as Master's and Ph.D. candidates; nearly 30 percent are women and minorities. The program has a 98 percent return rate with 106 Masters-level graduates returning to Pakistan this year to join an increasingly expanding alumni network across Pakistani universities.
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